It's going to be a while before I get all my Disney World posts together, but in the mean time here are some general thoughts on Universal (which I visited in the middle of my Disney World trip).
Universal Orlando isn't quite as magical as Disney World, but it's much better than Universal Studios Hollywood. And the Harry Potter sections (both the older Hogsmeade and the newer Diagon Alley) are amazing in terms of theming detail. Universal is also similar to Disneyland in it's lack of need (or ability) to plan things in advance.
My favourite rides are the two major Harry Potter rides (Forbidden Journey and Escape From Gringotts). The Hogwarts Express, Revenge of the Mummy and Jurassic Park would also make it onto my not-to-be-missed list.
Universal's entertainment program is not nearly as good as Disney's. The Cinematic Spectacular looked promising, but it wasn't on any of the nights I was there (and by the time I found that out, it was too late to change which days I was at Universal). Some of the shows in the Harry Potter areas were mildly entertaining but overall I found all of the shows pretty skippable.
The best food options at Universal were definitely the Harry Potter restaurants (Three Broomsticks and Leaky Cauldron). I also enjoyed some of the novelty items like the giant Simpsons doughnut. But the butter beer was definitely top of my list when it came to food and drink.
Unlike Disney World, Universal delivered on having low crowds in September. I was glad I didn't fork out money for an express pass, because almost everything was a walk on. I was able to use Early Entry and occasionally Single Rider to deal with the few rides that did build up lines. The biggest challenge in touring Universal was trying to fit in shows without a lot of backtracking or waiting around.
Overall, I still prefer Disney World, but Universal Orlando is definitely worth at least a short side trip.
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